What's your platform?

For the past several months, we have been reading inspirational true-life stories of young adults. These are ordinary young people living extra-ordinary lives for Christ. The first book we read was "Kisses from Katie". The story of Katie Davis who moved to Uganda for a year after high school. She is now the 22 year old mother of 13 living in Uganda. She did not spend her life preparing for her platform. She clung to His will for her day to day decisions. She shares very openly about how difficult some of those decisions were and the ramifications both good and bad of those decisions. We finished the book in record time and I went out searching for another. The next book I chose was Tim Tebow's "Through My Eyes". The boys got a laugh at how they had to explain some of the more technical aspects of football to us "females" and how I butchered some of their names. However, as with "Kisses from Katie" the questions we began to ask ourselves and each other were often about evaluating our own lives to see if our "platforms" had eternal significance and if they didn't how could we change it , if it did, how could we do better. One night, Ian decided that we all needed to go around the room and announce our platform and tell one way we had used it for Christ. A couple of night later, he made us do it again and this time we had to name a different platform. Obviously, Tim Tebow has spent a lot of time preparing for his platform and knew at a very early age what he was called to do. Still, he was able to walk us through some of those difficult decisions he had to make and share with us the outcome. It took us a little longer to plow through the Tebow book because his chapters were longer, we had to stop to explain things more and it was over Christmas break so things were a little more hectic. After Christmas, I went on the hunt again. This time, I came home with Bethany Hamilton's "Soul Surfer". This book was a little different because we had all seen the movie. However, hearing things from her perspective as a 13 year old girl has been very intriguing. Yesterday, we were talking about her "platform" and how her platform got a louder voice as a result of tragedy. Like Tebow, she had been preparing all her life to become the best in her sport and was making great strides. Then, that fateful Halloween day, everything changed. Platforms take all shapes and sizes. We have learned that just from asking one another how it is going, giving one another encouragement and accountability. Our pastor has been saying recently that "For anything to be dynamic, it has to be specific." I truly believe that. I believe that we have to be specific in looking for ways to share the gospel. I will be the first to admit, I am good with using actions, terrible using my words. When we go into Target or Wal-Mart or the grocery store, I often engage the clerk in conversation. It drives my kid's crazy. It also drives them crazy that the cashiers remember me and whatever we talked about last time and the kid's think it is crazy that these people all over town know random things about us. That's my platform. It may not be glamorous and I surely didn't pick it, but it is. So I ask, "what is your platform and how are you being specific?"